An automatic music player system is known which includes a player piano capable of reproducing the musical information which has originated in the piano. Such musical information is produced by an operator keying in on the keyboard of the piano and is converted into coded musical data, which are then memorized into a memory during recording mode of operation of the system. For the reproduction of the musical information thus memorized into the memory, the coded musical data are read out and are converted into corresponding driver signals, which are then applied to the individual elements of solenoid-operated drive assemblies provided within the player piano. The drive assemblies thus actuated drive the key action and control pedal mechanisms of the piano and enable the piano to generate musical sounds conforming to the data received from the memory.
One of the inconveniences experienced with an automatic music player system of this type results from the fact that any musical information which has not originated in the player piano per se could not be reproduced from the piano. Only the musical information which has been keyed in within the player system can thus be reproduced by the piano per se and, for this reason, difficulties are encountered if it is desired to perform an "ensemble" mode of playback operation between the piano of the system and any external sound generator which may be used in combination with the piano. The operator who desires to have the system perform such an ensemble mode of playback operation must set the external sound generator into operable condition appropriately by having recourse to time-consuming steps required to establish compatibility of playback performance between the piano and the sound generator.
It is, accordingly, an important object of the present invention to overcome such an inconvenience inherent in a prior-art automatic music player system through provision of an improved automatic music player system which is capable of producing both mechanically and electronically generated musical sounds concurrently one by means of a mechanical sound generator and the other by means of a suitable electronic sound generator. Such an automatic music player system typically uses a player piano as the mechanical sound generator and an MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standardized keyboard console as the electronic sound generator. The musical information produced by an operator keying in on the keyboard of the piano is converted into coded musical data, which are then memorized into the memory provided in association with both the player piano and the keyboard console during recording mode of operation of the system. During ensemble mode of playback operation, the coded musical data stored in the memory are read out therefrom and are converted into driver signals, which are selectively applied to the individual elements of solenoid-operated drive assemblies provided within the player piano. The drive asemblies thus actuated electrically act on the key action and control pedal mechanism of the piano and enable the piano to generate "mechanical" musical sounds conforming to the data received from the memory, as in the prior-art player system. In an automatic music player system according to the present invention, the data read out from the memory are supplied not only to the solenoid-operated drive assemblies in the player piano but also to the keyboard console and electronically actuate the keyboard console to generate "electronic" musical sounds.
Such an improved automatic music player system proposed by the present invention may involve considerable amounts of delay in generating mechanical sounds by the motions of the key action and control pedal mechanisms which are driven by the solenoid-operated drive assemblies. Due to such delays on the part of the player piano, the piano could not follow the performance of the keyboard console which is electronically actuated to generate sounds electronically. The piano serving as the mechanical sound generator and the keyboard console serving as the electronic sound generator are thus unable to play back the respectively assigned parts of the music in concert with each other.
The present invention contemplates resolution of such a problem and, accordingly, it is another important object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic music player system capable of establishing complete compatibility of playback performance between the mechanical and electronic sound generator units provided in the system.
It is still another important object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic music player system in which the mechanical sound generator unit such as typically a piano is enabled to produces sounds concurrently with the electronic sound generator unit such as typically an MIDI keyboard console.